Shrubs to trees, with few lianas, without exudate. Leaves alternate, spiral, simple, often lobed and tripli- or palmately veined and with stellate hairs that sometimes colour the leaf lower surfaces silvery or golden, toothed leaf margins common. Petioles usually swollen at tip. Stipules present, usually large. Flowers 5-merous, regular, bisexual, sepals connate, petals free, stamens numerous and fused into a tube which is connected to base of the petals, ovary superior. With an epicalyx, i.e. like an addional calyx below the real calyx. Fruit a capsule. Seeds either surrounded by an aril and animal dispersed, or hairy or winged and wind dispersed.
General info
Distribution Worldwide, with 250 genera and 4300 species, mostly tropical. Ecology Almost all possible habitats are used by this family. Uses Economically a very important family with ornamentals, medicinal use, edible plants, fibers for clothes and mattresses (cotton, kapok), fruits (durian), and timber. Similar to Dipterocarpaceae but these differ in presence of resin and venation. Some Euphorbiaceae, like Mallotus, but these differ in the stipules (small).
Family description
Shrubs to trees, with few lianas, without exudate.Leaves alternate, spiral, simple, often lobed and tripli- or palmately veined and with stellate hairs that sometimes colour the leaf lower surfaces silvery or golden, toothed leaf margins common. Petioles usually swollen at tip. Stipules present, usually large.
Flowers 5-merous, regular, bisexual, sepals connate, petals free, stamens numerous and fused into a tube which is connected to base of the petals, ovary superior. With an epicalyx, i.e. like an addional calyx below the real calyx.
Fruit a capsule. Seeds either surrounded by an aril and animal dispersed, or hairy or winged and wind dispersed.
General info
Distribution Worldwide, with 250 genera and 4300 species, mostly tropical.Ecology Almost all possible habitats are used by this family.
Uses Economically a very important family with ornamentals, medicinal use, edible plants, fibers for clothes and mattresses (cotton, kapok), fruits (durian), and timber.
Similar to Dipterocarpaceae but these differ in presence of resin and venation. Some Euphorbiaceae, like Mallotus, but these differ in the stipules (small).
Treated genera
Bombax ceiba
Grewia laevigata
Heritiera littoralis
Hibiscus tiliaceus
Pterospermum javanicum
Scaphium macropodum
Sterculia rubiginosa